Herrera Beutler Pens Letter Asking for More Actively Managed Forest Resources

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U.S. Representative Jaime Herrera Beutler has sent a letter urging agency leaders to take action to alleviate what she called a funding crisis in Skamania County and other rural communities with significant amounts of national forest.

She asked the Forest Service to actively manage forest resources and to restore harvesting within legal limits to help adequately manage the prevention of wildfires. 

The letter was sent to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue and U.S. Forest Chief Tony Tooke.

According to a press release from her office, formerly timber-dependent communities such as Skamania County have a high proportion of federal land and are in “a constant state of financial crisis due to the lack of active management of forest resources.” 

Lewis County also fits that description.

That results in inadequate funding for schools, emergency and police response capabilities, roads and other vital services, stated the press release.

“…[T]his school year, nine million rural students are returning to school with fewer teachers and reduced educational opportunities than they had the previous year. This outcome is hardly unavoidable and entirely unacceptable,” Herrera Beutler, R-Battle Ground, wrote in her letter.  “The latest funding crisis within our rural communities, as well as the wildfire devastation throughout the western United States, underscores the need for this agency to regain its focus. In the previous 25 years we have seen a cultural change in the U.S. Forest Service that is to the detriment of the people it should serve, and even to the agency itself.”



Herrera Beutler urged the administration to use available tools to rebuild forestry staff and increase responsible harvests.

“Only then can we provide a sound and sustainable revenue stream for forest counties and schools, promote healthier fire-resilient forests that are not as prone to infestation and disease, strengthen rural economies, and generate new jobs,” states the letter.

Earlier this year, Herrera Beutler and some of her colleagues in Congress introduced legislation to reauthorize the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self Determination Act that provides revenues to rural forest counties with a high proportion of federal land. 

SRS supports a variety of services in 775 counties and 4,400 schools across the country, according to the release. 

“SRS is currently the only lifeline for many formerly timber-dependent communities in Southwest Washington to keep schools, emergency services and roads operating,” stated the release. 

To read the full text of the letter, go to herrerabeutler.house.gov.